Outdoorsmen, such as hunters, naturalists, and photographers, often need to gain an elevated vantage point. In this regard, it has been common to use a climbing tree stand to provide a stable platform above the ground and to provide access thereto. Numerous designs involving a variety of construction techniques for climbing tree stands are known.
A common arrangement for a climbing tree stand is a lower platform having an adjustable, rigid backbar which is placed about the tree and secured to the platform for securing the platform to the tree. The rigid backbar often has been made of tubular steel or heavy gauge plate steel. In one such arrangement shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,316,014 of Amacker, the backbar is rigidly secured to a first pair of steel tubes which are telescopically received in a slightly larger pair of steel tubes, with the position of the backbar then being adjusted by means of a locking pin inserted through the telescoping tubes into holes formed in the inner tube.
In recent years, it has become somewhat common to replace the rigid backbar with a length of cable or a chain in order to reduce weight. One difficulty in the use of cable or chain is that the resulting climbing tree stand often has less than optimal stability. Another problem is that the attachment and adjustment of the cable or chain to the platform can be difficult to accomplish, particularly under adverse conditions (such as in the dark or cold or rain). In this regard, it is pointed out that some of the known prior art climbing tree stands using cables or chains have used square tubing attached to the ends of the cables or chains and telescopically received in other pieces of tubing, as described in the Amacker patent above. Other known prior art arrangements have replaced the square tubing with round tubing, which in addition to requiring axial alignment of the tubes in order to insert the locking pin, further complicates matters by requiring radial alignment as well. This can be very difficult to accomplish in the field.
Accordingly, it can be seen that a need yet remains for a climbing tree stand which is lightweight, stable, easily adjusted, and easily used. It is to the provision of such a climbing tree stand that the present invention is primarily directed.